Thousands of Animals Saved During National Day of No Kill -- ST. PAUL, Minn., June 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Thousands of Animals Saved During National Day of No Kill

ST. PAUL, Minn., June 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Monday, June 11 marked the first national day of no kill in animal shelters in the USA, and, according to Animal Ark and the No Kill Advocacy Center, the event organizers, between 7,000 and 9,000 animals were saved that day because of it.

For the event, called Just One Day, 766 animal welfare organizations, including municipal animal control centers, private animal shelters and rescue organizations took a pledge to not kill any healthy or treatable animals on June 11. Euthanasia technicians put down their syringes and picked up cameras. Instead of sending them out the back door in body bags, they committed to sending them home to new families, by reaching out to their communities and asking for support. They hosted special adoption events and offered discounted adoption rates. The response was overwhelming.

From a small rescue in Chicago called St. Sophia's Forgotten Felines who adopted 13 cats/kittens and transferred in 4 from high kill facilities, to Kern County's Just One Day event that had 40 people waiting in line prior to opening, to the significant achievements of B.A.R.C. in Houston which saved the lives of 231 animals, to Miami-Dade Animal Services that adopted 57 animals and reporting "many more hold commitments", there was unprecedented life-saving all across the nation.

"Some shelters literally ran out of animals," said Nathan Winodgrad of the No Kill Advocacy Center. "With empty cages all over their shelters, many of them realized they were not going to have to kill any animals on June 12, either. Many decided to continue their events each day for Just One More Day."

"We proved that there are enough homes for shelter animals," said Mike Fry of Animal Ark. "So long as the shelters engage the animal-loving American public in positive and constructive ways, they will swoop in to help the shelters to save lives."

With the tremendous success of Just One Day 2012, the inauguration of the annual event, organizers expect many more shelters to participate in 2013.